Fast Times at Midgar University
by gaiasflower
Summary: Zack Fair is a popular, promiscuous,-somewhat of a meathead-kinesiology major. But what happens when he is forced to join the school's play? Zerith/Hints of CloTi Warning Lemon/Rape
1. Chapter 1

1

Zack Fair was twenty – a Kinesiology major at Midgar University, no less. The young man had quite a bit going for him: a steady part-time job, star of the foot-ball team (quarterback; how cliché, hm?), model-good-looks, a hoard of girls (and the odd guy) chasing after him, and above all else – _a fast car_. To most people, he appeared to have everything a normal male could want. Even he found himself to be quite fortunate in terms of popularity.

His scholarship had been granted simply due to the fact that he could throw a football. Perhaps such a statement was putting his talents lightly. Oh – the boy was gifted, that was certain. He was astonishing and impressive in every which way, and almost every student at the school knew his name. Zack Fair: star jock of Midgar University.

But his seemingly perfect life came to a sputtering halt one Sunday morning…when he crashed his car into the drama instructor's Mercedes.

He sat behind the wheel, eyes wide in shock as he was enveloped by the overwhelming sound of the car alarms. Zack's hands were wrapped so tightly around the wheel that his knuckles had turned white in the meantime. Soon enough, people swarmed the scene of the accident. Students and teachers watched on as the man was escorted from his dented car to the campus.

"A…play?" He was hardly the type of guy to involve himself in such an event. The school had an annual Preforming Arts Festival that went on for three days. Music was played, shows were put on. This year, the drama department had chosen a classic. _LOVELESS_, Professor Rhapsodos' personal favourite.

"Of course. We could use a charismatic young boy like you in our production this year, Mister Fair!" He dressed himself in the most pompous and pretentious of clothing. A red leather jacket with knee-high leather boots? Goddess, this guy was just _bleeding_ flamboyance.

"Professor, I could just give you a cheque to pay for the damage—"

"Nonsense!" The man beamed. A grin danced upon his bright lips as he hungrily eyed the ebony-haired student before him. Zack shifted uncomfortably in the armchair. Everything about the office had to do with _LOVELESS_, or some other musical of the sort. Holy Hell this guy had to be obsessed with the play or something. "You're going to fit right in with the rest of the kids, Mister Fair. Rehearsals start tomorrow at three O'clock PM. _Don't_ be late."

Bookworms and losers. That's all the drama department consisted of. People hoping to aspire and become some kind of film star; though nobody from Midgar made it big – _ever_. That was the brutal reality that nobody wanted to face. What would hanging around the theatre do to his reputation? What if one of the players on the football team saw him?

Either way, he guessed he had no choice.

With a deep sigh, he pushed open the heavy wooden doors. The place was very cold; the thick velvet curtains were closed, so the whole stage couldn't be seen; the professor sat on the apron, facing an almost empty house. Red upholstered chairs to match the grand curtain filled the area, only the front row was taken up by students, intently listening to their instructor. And everybody there looked so _geeky_.

What the hell was that kid wearing? Was that a sweater vest?

No cute girls. No cool cars. Nothing but dumb books and scripts. _Minerva save me._

Only thirty people were evident. Zack decided to take a seat in the row behind the front so he had nobody to his left nor to his right; that way, he could drop his bag in the chair directly beside him.

Seconds before Professor Rhapsodos began to take the attendance, three young ladies pushed through the doors, giggling and chattering amongst themselves. He seemed slightly irked by their tardiness, but his expression soon softened as he noted their identities. Miss Tifa Lockhart, the head of the costume design; Yuffie Kisaragi, her cousin and assistant; and the girl who caught Zack completely off guard – Aerith.

There was something about her. Maybe it was the way that she moved, or her soft voice; perhaps it was the kindness evident in her verdant eyes. Whatever drew him to the woman, he did not know. However, he soon found himself on his feet, a crooked grin caressing his features; Zack presented himself to the brunette as he did every female student at the school: with confidence and a hint of narcissism.

"Hey there. I'm Zack. Zack Fair – and _I_ would like to have the honour of taking you out on one date. What do you say?"

She stared at him blankly for a moment, clutching a stack of textbooks to her chest. "I'm not too sure about that –"

"And why not?" He leaned closer to her, bringing his face dangerously close to hers. Aerith merely turned her head slightly, somewhat of a blush tinting her cheeks.

"I'm…with someone already." And with that, she shrugged past him, only to take a seat between Tifa and Yuffie in the front row. Bashfully, Zack returned to his chair directly behind her and the others.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Each person there had been assigned a part after a quick read-through of the text. The original poem was strange – in fact, it flew right over Zack's head. However the script which the students were going off of was a more modernized version of the thing. Rather sad, he noted, once all had been read.

Three friends each go their own separate ways when faced with a war. One flees, deemed a traveler; one is captured by the enemy forces – deemed the prisoner, and the last friend…becomes the hero. Glory and fame await this man; though the prisoner soon escaped, with the help of a woman. The man becomes guilty, for his promise to his comrades has not been kept. And so, he leaves his love, promising to return to her.

It was strange; Zack had always assumed he was fit to be a hero-type; however the role went to some meek blond kid named Cloud. Who named their kid _Cloud_, of all things? And the part of the wanderer went to a guy named Vincent. But it wasn't like he really minded who received which role, soon enough, all of this would be over, and everything would go back to normal. He would regain his status at the university, and he would act as if this whole ordeal never happened.

As he and the other actors lingered within the theatre whilst waiting for the professor to join them, Zack couldn't help but let his bright azure eyes wander to Aerith's slender frame. She was quite unalike anybody he had ever seen before; there was something magnetizing about her. She was strange; her clothing was refined and elegant compared to the other girl's there, but that hardly took away from her beauty.

But as soon as rehearsal ended, she slipped through the front doors before he could say so much as one single word to her.

Both Tifa and Yuffie caught on to his relentless staring, and approached him after one of the read throughs; the conversation kept going, even as he exited the theatre and made his way to a coffee shop across the campus. Together, the three of them took a seat at one of the small round tables. They were skeptical, as most friends would have been if they'd caught somebody eyeing a comrade; the girls kept their arms crossed over their chests as they mutually bombarded him with questions.

"I think Aerith's pretty freaked out with your creepy stalking, Zack. You're always watching her. It's really weird," Yuffie insisted. She wrinkled her nose at him, something akin to a disgusted look crossing her face. "Why are you suddenly so infatuated with her anyway, huh?"

He held his hands up defensively. The black-haired girl's loud voice had caught almost everybody's attention within the place, and most eyes were on the trio at that moment, including the crimson optics of a certain Mister Valentine – along with Cloud Strife's. The two men had seated themselves at an opposing table, adjacent to Zack's.

"I think that she's really cute, that's all. And shouldn't I be getting to know my peer? I mean, she's playing my lover in this thing – I'm going to have to have fake sex with her, right? So I've gotta know her _pretty_ well."

That earned him a slap over the back of his head from Tifa. She scowled at him. "You're not having fake sex with her, you idiot! You're just faking a kiss, that's _it_. And we see you mentally undressing her every rehearsal. It's _freaky_. Besides, her mother doesn't let her date."

A single ebony eyebrow was raised in inquiry. "She said that she was—"

"That's to ward off weirdos like you," Yuffie shrugged. "Face it, pal, you're not getting in between those legs any time soon. Best to just give up before she hits you with her textbooks."

With a sigh, Zack buried his face into his hands. "She's nineteen, and her mom won't let her date? That's a little extreme, don't you think?"

"Weeeell, she doesn't let her date just any guy."

"He's got to be approved by _her_ first," Tifa said. "She only wants the best for her daughter, I guess. But I guess it seems to be a little much. Either way—you should stay away from her."

"What do you two have against me? I'm a perfectly nice guy!"

"Right." Yuffie rolled her eyes, and stood with Tifa as they exited the café. "Just don't mess around with Aerith, and we'll be all right, Zack."

He had to walk home now, as his car had been taken back to the auto shop. It was just a dent, though his mother had instructed him to do so. He lived thousands of miles away from his home city, and had spoken to her briefly over the phone, but the woman still scared the living daylights out of him.

Zack lived in an apartment near the train station. It was big enough for one single man as himself to inhabit it. He wasn't the neatest person on the Planet, but he wasn't the slovenliest, either. There were a few empty beer bottles decorating the windowsills, and an empty pizza box on the table – but that was the extent.

On the trip home, he found himself being followed. His pace slowed, and soon came to a halt. He turned around, only to find Cloud and Vincent trailing behind him. The lanky, dark haired male kept his gaze low; head bowed. While the blond stared up at him, keeping eye contact.

"So, you're trying to get Aerith to like you, too?"

The accusation made Zack choke out a laugh. He kept his arms locked behind his head, as he pursed his lips. "Oh jeez, who're you supposed to be? Her bodyguards? Listen, I asked her on a date – she said no, that's all that there – what do you mean _too_?"

"The girl has a number of suitors," Vincent calmly added.

"That's putting it lightly. You wouldn't be the first guy to try to get into that dress."

"Why do all of you think that I want to get between her legs – God damn. Can't a guy say that a girl's pretty without getting accused of wanting to have sex with her?" He ran a hand through his spiked hair, turning his back on the others before long.

"Yes, but you flirt with her vainly every class. So much is evident. Perhaps you should leave her alone and consider it a lost cause."

Being told to forget about her sparked something inside of him, however. Zack would do nothing of the sort, now. Before he had crossed paths with Aerith, he could have had any girl that he desired. Nearly every female in the school chased after _him._ Seldom did he have to do more than smile, and they'd open their legs for him and _more_. She…was different. She was reserved, mysterious, kind, collected…nearly everything that he was not.

And the fact that she had turned him down simply fueled his ambitions.

The two males were invited into his apartment. There, they read over their lines together. It was soon evident that they weren't _really_ losers, like Zack had presumed.

"I still can't believe that you got the lead, though." Azure eyes flickered to the blond, a soft smile caressed his features.

"I'm not the lead. _You_ are," Cloud easily protested. He folded his script over and shrugged. "You get the most lines and everything. Plus you get to make out with Aerith. I think you've got the best part."

"What? You want to kiss her? Aren't you dating Tifa already, anyway?" A bemused, almost smug grin tainted his lips, then. The man stood from his sofa, placing his hands on his hips as he inclined toward the male – one year his junior. "Well I'd love to play the hero part, you know!"

"The hero's a fraud in the play, Zack. You realize this?" Vincent looked up from his script. He had kept rather silent all day; only speaking when prompted or necessary. It put Zack on edge somewhat. He liked to know what people were thinking – quiet kids made him nervous.

"But he gets the publicity and everything. My guy just…"

"Falls in love, has a great life, dies with honour?"

"Yeah."


	3. Chapter 3

3

"What are you _doing_ in that place, man?" Kunsel Ambarsson grinned as he approached his friend. The man took a seat next to the other on the cement bench, positioned twenty feet away from a small flower bed – one that was currently being tended to by a certain brunette female.

Blue eyes fixated on her delicate hands, gingerly grasping the watering can as she doused the blossoms. Kunsel's voice had become muted within his head; there was a deafening sound of chatter surrounding them.

"Helloooo. Gaia-to-Zack. What's up? What are you staring a—" He stopped himself short. A cheeky smile possessed his features as he flicked the male in the back of the head. "_Her_? That's Aerith. She's in my Literature class. Really smart. Nice smile. Great rack. Oh, I can see why you like her. But she's a total hit-and-run, bro. If the play shit hasn't already messed up your status here, dating _that_ will."

One could say that he was renowned for his promiscuity. And that was more than likely the reasoning behind both Tifa and Yuffie's wariness surrounding his interest for their friend. Would he treat her as just another girl – one of the many he had been with? Zack often held interest in a girl, quite alike what he was feeling at that particular moment, slept with her, and soon somebody else came along, sparking intrigue again.

But she had rejected him. Was it a challenge? Was she testing him?

Oh, then he was more than ready to take her on.

Donning the signature smile, he flashed Kunsel a wink before striding toward the girl, who was currently hovering over the arrangement of flora beneath her. The blond male gave him a thumbs-up as he looked on, more or less expecting the usual outcome: Zack would offer a pickup line, say some stupid compliment, and then take the girl in question back to his apartment. It was simple, and it was almost formulaic.

He crouched down before her, still grinning as he caught Aerith's gaze. "Hey."

Jade eyes held his fixation for a fleeting moment before turning back to the daisy beside her. "Hi."

Somewhat of a frown crossed his face. Zack seated himself completely on the damp grass, still attempting for her attention. "Uh – we're in the play together, huh?"

"Mhmm."

A pause. Silence was brutal. A wavering hand ran through his black tresses of hair whilst he thought of what to say next. "So…uh – Aerith, right?"

"You've been given almost eight years to learn my name, and _now_ you decide to remember it? What's with the sudden change, hmm?"

"Eight years?" His eyes widened. "You went to the same high school as I did?"

"_And_ middle school. _And_ elementary school, Zack. You don't remember me at all, do you?" Was she hurt by that sentiment? Her tone died down to somewhat of a whisper, as if she didn't want anybody else to hear. From the corner of his eye, Zack could see Kunsel giving him a quizzical look.

"I'm…sorry? There were a lot of kids at that school."

"Oh. I distinctly recall you and _him_," a venomous stare was thrown in Kunsel's direction, "giving me hell for living in the slums. For almost eight years, I was relentlessly teased by you two!"

He took a defensive stance again. Hands held up in the air, wide eyes staring blankly at her annoyed face. "Hey—there _had_ to be other people teasing you. Not just he and I!"

"Hm…maybe you're right. Because I was some kinda freak in school, right?" With that, she stood, and stormed off, leaving the watering can unattended at the side of the flower bed.

He didn't see her for most of the day after that. Zack normally lingered about the campus until late in the evening. He trained for football; ran laps and such. Then, he would retreat indoors to shower (as the cost of hydro was rather abysmal). On this particular day, somebody had already occupied one of the shower heads. There were three in a row; spaced out accordingly.

The man assumed the occupant was simply another on the football team – they _were_ in the locker room, after all. Through the translucent curtain, he could make out a hazy figure: slender, fair skin. After undressing and retrieving his bottle of shampoo, Zack pulled the veil back.

His eyes must have grown to be the size of dinner plates when he noticed, not another teammate, but Aerith. She had her hands held up, occupied with her long hair; and she appeared to be humming quietly to herself. Zack lowered the bottle to cover himself somewhat, trying to make as little noise as possible.

But, in turn, she noticed him. "What—are you – doing here? Don't you ever knock! Zack—just—_look away-_!"

"Er—I'd prefer not to. I mean, not because I'm staring but because if I turn around—I'm—not—wearing—pants."

"CLOSE YOUR EYES."

He quickly clamped his hands over his eyes, though in his haste and fluster, he dropped the bottle on the tile floor, which caused the woman to gasp in shock. Zack lowered his arms, and fixated upon her again.

_Well at least the rumors about her tits are right—pretty spectacular._

"See? See? Now we're even. Get a good look, why don't you?"

"I don't want to see that! Just—stay in here and let me get dressed!" With one arm clamped over her breasts, she scampered out into the locker area and hurriedly clothed herself. As she was slipping into her panties, Zack emerged from the shower area and wandered over to his sweaty shorts. He gave her a final subtle glimpse, and pulled his shirt over his head.

"What are you doing here, anyway? Come here often?" It was a mere jest, though the question first posed was serious. He had never seen her there before that night. "Because if every one of our encounters is going to include you naked, I'm okay with that."

She frowned, finally buttoning her dress back up. "The water at my house was off. I figured this place would be empty. Apparently I was mistaken."

Zack made his way over to her side of the room. "I think we must have gotten off on the wrong foot. I always thought that you were a prude, but…" The sentence was over hardly after it had begun. She gave him a forceful shove, which caught him off guard and made him stumble backward. "—Okay! That's not true. All the guys on the team say that you've messed around with at least half of them."

"And…you think that's…the truth," she murmured. Her gaze fell to the floor, a saddened tone washing over her entire person.

"Well I-…not really. I didn't think a lot about you, really."

"I know _that_. You haven't ever thought anything about me for as long as I've known you."

He shrugged, and seated himself on the bench. "I always thought you were just some girl. We haven't had a class together in years. I mean, when you were in my Chemistry class back in seventh grade I thought you were pretty weird. Talked to flowers. Had a flat chest. Braces. You know…the regular stuff. And everybody else sort of teased you, so I just…went along with it. But when we got to high school you were really, _really_ cute. And – er—filled out. I even wanted to take you to the prom, but –"

"You went with Cissnei."

"Yeah. Then we broke up. I don't even remember why." Zack let out a sigh. By then, Aerith had sat down beside him; her legs were clamped to her chest, and her chin rested on her knees. "How do you remember that?"

"Guess I've got a memory for certain things."

"Ah. Well, now you're just…."

"Hm?" She faced him, eyebrows raised in inquiry.

His face flushed a deep red colour, and he stared straight ahead at one of the pale blue lockers. "You're beautiful."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So…looks are all that matter to you, huh? You haven't changed, have you?"

"Well if it helps, you're the only girl to ever shoot me down like ten times in a row. Usually they give in and just agree to go out with me," he laughed. "You're different than almost everybody here, though, you know that?" She cast him a quizzical stare, so he went on. "You're not impressed by me…are you? I guess what I like about you is that you don't – treat me better than everybody else. Even teachers cut me slack sometimes. I don't even know who my real friends are any more."

"I'm impressed by you. Sometimes."

"You are?"

She nodded. "Yup! I think it's neat that you can throw a football that far. And…you always look like you're having such a great time. Everything you do looks like a blast."

At this, he raised an eyebrow. Azure hues locked on the young woman, whose head was bowed slightly. "Everything's always been given to me. Growing up, if I wanted something—I got it. First it was toys, then sports gear, video games, then cars – even girls. You study really hard. And you're…really, really smart. You're probably going to be off somewhere making a shit ton of money once you graduate. Me? …I'll probably always be in Midgar. You're going somewhere, Aerith. You're going to sprout wings and leave this dump. I know it. I mean – in eleventh grade you said that you wanted to be one of the higher-ups at Shin-Ra, right? Man – you'll be at the top!"

"How come you didn't remember me just a few hours ago, but now everything is crystal clear?" She snapped. The girl was already aware of the answer, though she simply wanted him to utter it.

He bit on his lip, uncertain if he should tell the truth or not. "The…reputation. I'm sorry." He was really that much of a jerk, wasn't he?

"Don't apologize. I understand. I've understood for eight years."

There was so much to this girl. He didn't quite understand her; more often than not, he was able to read a person like an open book. He could kiss somebody, and they'd kiss back, or they'd strike him. Never one and then the other. He could flirt, and they would go with it, or leave. She…was strange. She was blunt, though kind. And he didn't understand it at all.

So, he put his hands on either side of her face, and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't all too intimate, but it was still something. And when he pulled away, she said nothing. In fact, she acted as if nothing had happened at all. The man paused before speaking again. He wouldn't really blame her if she never forgave him for what he did to her all throughout school. "So…Shin-Ra, huh? To be fair, I think that you'd look really hot in one of those uniforms. Like the ones the secretaries wear? Goddess."

"Yeah," her voice died down into something more than a whisper. "Shin-Ra."

"What?"

When her eyes met his, he could detect either worry or sorrow; he supposed it was both at the time being. "Zack. You've never really done something that you don't want to do, have you?"

"—Er….Not really."

"Oh." She turned away again, eyes fuzzed over and unfocused.

They sat in silence for a few minutes as both parties pondered what to say next. Two radically different people: a girl who had worked all her life to obtain only the necessary; and a boy who had been handed each and every single thing he desired.

He gingerly put a hand on her shoulder, and offered her a reassuring smile. Sincere; kind…unlike anything he usually bore upon his face. "In school…we're always taught to do the right thing – and get a good education to prosper in life. Get a good job; something that pays high. Something that you can raise a family on. But maybe we just have to follow our hearts, right? Let fate decide what we do in life. I mean, if you wanna work at a boring old office doing paper work and messing with decimals—be my guest! But maybe you _really _wanna –"

"Sell flowers? Zack…don't be silly."

"How is following your dreams silly?"

And then she stared at him. She watched him with wide eyes, falling deathly quiet. For Aerith had no retort. She just sat there in silence.

By noon the following week, Zack had convinced Kunsel to eat lunch with Aerith and the others. The table was nearly full, as it had to compensate five students already: Tifa, Yuffie, Vincent, Cloud, and the brunette. Though there was more than enough room for he and Kunsel to take a seat. And so, both men seated themselves on either side of Aerith; Kunsel found himself to the right of the silent blond, to his dismay.

"Hey, spikey, are you going to finish that?" He nudged the other in the arm, however received no answer. And so, Kunsel spoke again and again, in hopes of getting some sort of retort.

Tifa shot Aerith a look; her upper lip curled, and she nodded her head toward the babbling male and her boyfriend. "Do we really have to eat with _him_ just because you want your…man…child here?"

"He isn't my boyfriend," she said quickly. Her rash statement spurred a look of surprise from Zack. His eyebrows were raised, and his mouth was slightly gaping for a moment. Soon, he collected himself.

"I'm pretty sure that kiss said otherwise." He shot back, somewhat angered by her boldness.

His revelation made her turn bright red; the words that she managed out were simply stammers. "That—was—just—_practice_-!" But during the previous week, they had shared more than just the single osculation. There had been a handful, each growing more and more passionate. Longer intimate moments; the grazing of tongues; gentle caresses.

"For our real kiss." He smirked. "When you finally let me take you out on a date."

"Can't help it if she doesn't like you," Kunsel shrugged. He spoke through a mouthful of what looked like Cloud's lunch. Later on, the silent blond would insist that it was the only thing that could have made the man shut up. But he didn't mind, when Kunsel wasn't blabbering about stupid things, or girls, he was actually rather kind and funny. He could even carry an intelligent conversation with the other males at the table (save Zack, most days).

This was a hard idea for Zack to grasp. No girl had ever shot him down before. Not once. But Aerith had _thrice._ He was determined, however; Fair seldom took no for an answer. "And I've seen you—"

Before he could so much as utter the _word_, she clamped her hand over his mouth, resulting in the palm of her hand getting licked by the man. He wore a smug grin as she tore her arm away from him, shooting him an annoyed stare. "Sorry, I missed." He chuckled.

"Missed _wha_—"

As soon as the question was posed, he slipped his tongue into her mouth, sparking no complaint from her. However, their spectating friends turned their eyes away from the two in mild disgust. Yuffie made gagging motions, coupled with sounds, to accentuate her dismay. "Yuk! Get a _roooom_."

Zack was the first to pull away this time around, a silly grin evident on his face. "I'm just so attractive, she has a hard time keeping herself off of me."

This earned him the cold shoulder from the brunette for the remainder of the break, and was only made up by his purchase and offering of lilacs.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Nearly a month later, Zack still found himself in the predicament. No matter how often he was with Aerith, she assured him that they were only together as "friends". It was strange, however. He would sometimes kiss her, simply to see how she would react. Each time, she reciprocated the oscillation, though promptly stated that it was mere practice for their play.

"_I have to be comfortable getting close to you, otherwise it won't look real. That's all."_

"_Right. And my tongue in your mouth is 'getting close'. You believe what you want, princess, but I'm pretty sure that this is called a date."_

Following that comment, the girl stood and demanded that he take her seriously. He did, and in turn, they recited their lines together.

During an English lecture, he briefly spoke with Kunsel. Perhaps he could help him with his issue? Although the man himself hadn't had a steady girlfriend since the tenth grade, he always seemed so sure of himself. Like he knew everything, or everything he deemed important.

"I think that she likes the affection."

"—What…?"

"You know," the blond scribbled something in his notepad, to give the illusion like he was paying attention to the professor's words. "Kissing her, hugging her, holding hands. Whatever you two do together—I think she likes _that_. I just don't think that she can see herself with a guy like you."

_A guy like—_

"Especially with that reputation. See…somebody like _me_ would suit her well. Or, on the surface, I guess. Since I'm smart. I'm smart, right? Good looking, nice, you know – stuff Gainsborough's into. I'm pretty sure that I'd get sick of her, though. Or vice versa." He chewed on his pencil thoughtfully, staring straight ahead at the teacher. "You're too…forward. I mean, I respect and admire it. But with a girl like her you….have to be discrete. Don't _act_ like you want to get in her pants – just be nice."

"I _am_ nice."

"Sure you are. But you're forceful, too. Zack," he turned to face him square-on. "The kissing? The absolute certainty that she's going to date you? Just…act like you do with me, but with her. I think she'd appreciate it. I know that there's a good guy beneath all of that promiscuity and shallowness."

"How the hell do you know all this about her?"

"Those are just assumptions. Pf—if you wanted real information about her, I've got loads. Her adoptive mother's name is Elmyra Gainsborough, nee Clarkson. Her favourite colour is pink, and she lives in sector seven in the red house. She's only had one boyfriend all of her life, Mark Alison, and he allegedly touched her breast – but Aer doesn't seem like the type of girl to mess around like that. Even with all the rumors, you'd have to be an idiot to believe them."

"What are you, a stalker?"

"No, no. Intense spectator."

Zack had a late class that day, and on returning to his car, he noted that he still had Aerith's watering can. She was almost always about the school; he was certain that she lingered until six O'clock PM every day. Whether she was volunteering, gardening, or studying in the library—she was there. But he had just missed her departure, and even in his car he couldn't catch her.

And so, he followed her all the way through LOVELESS Avenue as best he could, weaving his way around vehicle after vehicle. It had grown dark out, and he soon lost her amid a crowd of people. He parked the automobile right outside of the entrance to the slums, making sure that he had the watering can with him.

The man ventured down into one of the sectors. It was so easy to get lost within such a place – he was somewhat astonished that people could get through this area with ease. More than thrice did he have to stop and ask for directions – directions to a house that he did not know. All Kunsel had told him was that it was somewhere in sector seven.

Soon, civilians retired to their homes; the indefinite glow of the streetlights created a dim halo overhead. It was always dark under the plate, but at night it grew _even_ blacker. So it seemed.

A scream sounded off not too far away. In fact, Zack was certain that its origin was just around the next pile of rubble and waste. He picked his sluggish feet up off of the ground, and ran quickly toward whoever had yelled. It had quickly become evident that two people were engaged in, well, _something_. A burly man had a half-dressed woman laid out on the ground beneath him; his big hands gripped her slender wrists tightly as he straddled her.

When he had seated himself on her hips, and was assured that she could not free herself even amid all of her struggling and kicking, the male released her wrists and moved his hands down to her bra. He fiddled with the clasp, and cussed as the garment would not abide to his wishes. In a rage, he finally pulled the item off of her, letting her large breasts fall out into his grimy hands with a slight bounce.

As Zack crept quietly closer to the couple, her protests became clearer and clearer. However, the man immediately struck her across the face in order to silence her. When she sobbed, he forced his tongue into her mouth. Her hands, which had been balled into fists, pounded against his bare chest, but he did not stop his forceful movements. Thick fingers unzipped his pants. When they had been removed, he tossed them to the side, atop of her white bra.

Then, he ran his tongue along her midriff and between her breasts. The slither of red found its way to her nipple, and traced its outline slowly. Stingy teeth held on to the rosy flesh, nearly hard enough to draw blood. The action sparked a sensual moan from the woman; however her shouts and pleas did not stop.

His intentions were blatant, every one of his movements were harsh and rough. A massive hand gripped her breast tightly enough so that the flesh peeking out from the space between his fingers had turned bright white. His dirty thumb ran itself around her petal pink nipple in order to erect it; soon, another digit flicked at the exposed, elevated skin.

The redhead was quick to slide her panties down her legs, and remove them from her person entirely. As soon as his mouth had been torn away from hers, she let out another cry for help. He struck her once more, and lifted her up so she was kneeling before him.

"You're good at this, right, Aer? They say that slum bitches _really_ know how to suck a guy off." He laced his fingers through her hair, drawing her lips closer to his hardened member. She clamped her jaw shut as she turned her head away from his body in disgust. "Come on, sweetheart. Everybody back at school says you're a _great_ fuck." He lowered his face so he was at eye level with her.

Surely it had taken him long enough to realize what was going on, but when he did, Zack jumped out at the man. He tackled him, shoving Aerith away with one lucid movement. With only a few blunt strikes, he had shoved the man far enough away from the girl, now seated on the ground.

"What the hell is this-? Bitch, I gave you the money! You said—"

"Get _out_," Zack hissed. He brandished a fist and narrowed his eyes. Before anything more happened, the redhead had collected himself and darted down the dim street.

Azure optics turned toward the brunette, and he almost immediately recognized her. Jade eyes were wide in both horror and shock; a hand was clutching her shoulder warily. Her pink dress had been torn; it draped over her legs and hung at her hips, though nearly half of the buttons had been popped off when she had been assaulted, most likely.

His cheeks were dusted with a bright scarlet colour when his gaze fell upon her fully exposed breasts (for the _second_ time, he reminded himself. Normally, he would have deemed this lucky, however given the circumstances, all he wanted to do was give her a shirt to cover herself with). From just one single glance, a dark purple bruise was evident on her right one; taking the shape of somebody's palm, as if she had been slapped or beaten there. Hastily, he averted his eyes and fixated on the dirt below his boots.

A horrified expression washed over her face as she struggled to stand, though could not muster the strength to do so. Her legs shook; knees buckled, and she sank back down to the ground once more. A hand grasped her upper arm tightly, and Zack pulled her to her feet while keeping one arm securely wrapped around her bare midsection. Before long, he spoke. Though when he did, it was a stuttering, bumbling utterance. "Are you…uh – you're – "

But she did not retort. Instead, she buried her face in his chest and cried. He allowed the silence then, simply keeping a firm hold upon her as she wept.

When she finally did cease, and had attempted to clothe herself, Zack released her from his embrace. She swayed slightly, and so he placed a hand on her shoulder. Aerith had wrapped the remnants of her dress around her breasts after locating her bra and panties and had donned the lacy garments.

The man had been one of the long-backs on the football team. He'd always been an asshole, though Zack had ruled out rape as one of the things he'd try. One of the things most people would try, for that matter. Perhaps he was just naïve. The citizens of the upper plate treated the people of the slums like vermin; like they could do what they wished with them. Sickening, really; and that guy would have thought he was justified.

"Who was that guy to you?" His eyes flickered from her torn dress, to her shoulders, where other injuries were evident, and finally her face—where a red mark had formed upon her cheek.

"Just…" Aerith could hardly speak a single word, let alone a sentence. Tears streaked her face, and choked her voice. "—a—…_customer._" The last was whispered; like she was ashamed. Her legs folded, and she sank back down to the ground. Her bare shoulders shook as she teared up again.

_So it is true._ He stood stalk still, shocked from what she'd admitted. Not…disgusted—not angry; not anything that she would have thought him to be. He was somewhat saddened, however. Why an intelligent, pretty, and sweet girl would…do such a thing escaped him; he knew it couldn't have been for any sort of joy. Or by _choice_, even. And how did she get caught up in all of this? What urged her to…do that? "Customer…? You're a…"

"N-no you don't—understand," she sobbed, "he wasn't—I...I—don't…I'm not, I'm not a—I don't do that a-anymore." The girl stared at him with such melancholy, scared eyes; Zack seated himself beside her, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders again. He pressed his lips to every inch of flesh on her neck and face he could manage, in an attempt to calm her. –_Anything_ that would get her to stop crying.


	5. Chapter 5

5

Together they wandered through the sector. People cast her strange looks, as her tattered dress did no real good in concealing her breasts. Pallid flesh peeked out from the shredded fabric every which way, and more than once did Zack catch a passing man staring.

She insisted that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself when she had reached her house, however he swept her off of her feet and carried her inside. Fortunately, her mother had not yet returned from work, and the place was empty. Zack brought the struggling brunette upstairs and into her room, soon tossing her onto her bed.

After Aerith had dressed herself, and he was allowed back in her bedroom, the male seated himself next to her on her mattress. She stared intently at her floral curtains for a moment or two before turning her gaze toward him, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. "Um…thanks. For –"

"Saving you from getting assaulted? Yeah, don't mention it." He shot her a crooked grin.

They sat there for a long while, still unsure of what to say. She was certainly worked up from what had happened, and he, too, had excited himself. Her back was rigid; her hands were folded atop her white dress.

Suddenly, with one quick remark, he had broken the eerie quiet that had enveloped them. "Hey, we could go over lines. If…you wanted."

For whatever reason, she was rather enthused about his offer. Aerith drew her pristine script from a drawer beside her bed, and happily turned toward him. Anything to get her mind off of the _event_, he supposed. He pulled his own tattered and coffee-stained script from his backpack with a sheepish smile.

"Dogs. You know how they get."

"Ruined all this _and_ your history homework, hm?" She raised an eyebrow, emitting a cheeky tone.

His eyes lingered hungrily upon her. He took in her features; her smile was the most prominent. Strange how…when she laughed, her whole face lit up. Zack wanted nothing more than to lean in and just –

"Wha—yeah. Totally. Fucking mutts," a shaky laugh escaped him. "Alright, where do you want to start, Aerith?" He dropped his gaze to the barely legible words on the paper, having to squint at them in order to read. "I think that we should just skip right to the kiss, if you want my opinion."

She frowned, giving him a playful shove. Her blush darkened, turning her light red – almost akin to that of a tomato. "I think we should go from the beginning. It'd do you some good to revise all of your lines."

"You just don't want me to kiss you. Is that it?"

"For a popular guy, you're pretty smelly," she teased.

He rolled his eyes, a sarcastic laugh following the gesture. "Aerith I've seen you naked twice now, I don't think that there's anything to be _embarrassed_ about. Actually, you shouldn't be ashamed of anything. Why hide _all that_ behind a bunch of dresses and sweaters?"

That had sparked something inside of her. The smug grin faded from her visage entirely, and something new took over – was it anger? Either way, she stood from her bed in a huff and crossed her arms over her chest. "That isn't funny – I…You…I'm still….And who says I'm embarrassed about anything at all! You just want to see me without a shirt on again, right? Tough luck!"

Zack smirked as he trailed behind her, following her slow paces around her tiny room as she fell into a heated ramble. "Are you really going to bring that up all the time now? I'd rather not be reminded of…_that_, thank you very m—" She was cut short, however, by his mouth clapping over hers. He rested one hand against her wall, the other felt beneath her chin, bringing her lips up to his.

She pressed her body up against his, gently moaning into the kiss. A delicate hand rested upon his chest, the other gripped his shoulder. His arm soon fell to her back, pulling her closer. He lifted her off of the floor, and allowed her legs to be wrapped around his waist. His hand crept up her leg; up her thigh, and finally took hold of the smooth flesh of her rear.

Aerith drew back, giving him a hurt expression as she tried to move free from his tight embrace. Once her feet were securely on the ground again, she turned her back toward him, arms crossed over her chest again. "Don't do that."

"I—what—er, sorry." He bowed his head. "I shouldn't have even kissed you; you're still pretty jumpy from that…thing. I just didn't know how else to shut you up."

"And that's how you normally shut a person up?"

"Just girls. I think I tried that on Kunsel once and he punched me."

And then, she laughed. She laughed, and snorted, and giggled, and chuckled. All directed at him, of course, but it was a pretty sound.

Football practice began normally. In fact, Zack was happy to be back in his daily routine again. The team was on the field, warming up. A scrimmage was being planned out; they were being divided into two groups. However, not too far in the distance, he caught Tifa and Aerith seated together in the stands. Behind his helmet, he was certain she couldn't tell it was him, though he waved anyway.

His grin faded immediately as a certain redhead approached him.

"Staring at Gainsborough again?" He snorted. "There's nothing to look at there. _Well_, great pair of tits, I'll say. And wouldn't I know it. But she's pretty plain if you a—"

A left hook to the man's jaw. His helmet went flying off; in seconds Zack had tackled him to the ground. His fists were flying; connecting with his face rapidly. Soon enough, everybody in the surrounding area was at his side, hovering over the two men. The coach was trying to pull the black haired male off of the redhead, however he was intent on killing him. Or – beating him to a pulp.

"Zack-!" Slender hands slipped around his muscled arm, and tugged him gently. "What are you doing –"

He paused, and stared up into frightened emerald eyes. Aerith's lips were turned downward slightly; her brows furrowed. "I…" The man removed himself from the other and stood, casting her a melancholy look. "He's the jerk who…"

She glanced over his shoulder and stared at the bloody blond laying in the grass. His gums were bleeding, his nose looked broken – but she felt sorry for him. Seeing him like that, near tears, Aerith almost wanted to help him. "You still shouldn't have done that, Zack."

"Wh-! I just can't please you, can I?" He snapped, instantly regretting his words. A sigh escaped him, and he brushed a black tress out of his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Aerith…" Tifa quietly warned. She eyed Zack dangerously, as if angered by his rash outbreak. "We should get going. Class is going to start soon."

The man dusted the stray blades of grass off of his person as he stood. After he'd straightened himself out, he struck Zack across the face, sending the raven haired man stumbling backward. "What's your problem, Fair? Standing up for the whore?" He spat; with each utterance, blood spilled from his mouth. "Shiva, she's from the slums. She'll get on her knees for a dime and open the legs for free. You don't have to be a gentleman."

A scarlet colour dusted the girl's cheeks, and she bowed her head slightly at his harsh words.

"Half the team's either felt her up or fucked her already, it's nothing new."

"You shut up," Zack retorted, brandishing a fist. Before any more punches could be thrown, the coach stepped between booth males, demanding that they stop their foolishness immediately and get back to the scrimmage. Both obeyed, and retrieved their helmets from the ground.

Once the others had returned to their positions, Aerith gently grasped Zack's wrist to halt him momentarily. "You don't always have to stand up for me, you know."

"But I want to."

She bit on her lower lip, suddenly dropping her arms back to her sides. She had dressed in many layers, and it wasn't even cold out. It was an attempt to conceal herself from everybody, he supposed. A murmur of a response was given, "Thanks…." And then she lifted herself up onto her tip toes in order to kiss his cheek before running back to Tifa's side.

"Are you and she…" Kunsel had wormed his way over to his friend's side, and had begun to poke him vigorously in the ribcage for attention. "Zack – Zack are you and Aerith…"

But his gaze remained fixated on the woman, who was moving in the other direction with Tifa, her fingers intertwined behind her back as usual, and her head resting lightly on the ebony-haired female's shoulder. A faint smile accompanied his vacant stare.

"Oh my Goddess are you fucking her?"

Without taking his eyes off of the girl, he managed to slug the man in the stomach.


	6. Chapter 6

6

_When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end__  
__The goddess descends from the sky__  
__Wings of light and dark spread afar__  
__She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting…._

A war all across the land. Battle after battle; seemingly endless. Though, amid the dangers and horrors – three friends remain together. A promise made. They are bound – by love? Fate? A solemn oath remains.  
To seek the answer together, once again. The everlasting gift of the benevolent Goddess. She is destined to lead them to bliss; at the end of the war – she will descend.

But – one of the men is captured. Taken in by the enemy's forces.

Driven by sadness, and the memories of carnage and sorrow, the other takes to the forest; wandering and creating his own path. Following the sky and the sun in hopes of finding a love to stay by him; a love that could clear his mind of all malice.

The last remaining is deemed…the hero.

The prisoner awoke in a dungeon; his gut torn open, his face scarred. He is now clad in the livery of a serf – crimson red fabric, and brown breeches. He has been bandaged; a vain attempt to heal the wounds.

"You there – scoundrel! Keep quiet, your breakfast is coming," a guard spat. "Make another sound like your last clamor and you'll be beheaded by nightfall."

The man ate in silence, attempting to keep the maggot-infested porridge in his stomach. Over the past month or so, he had grown used to such "delicacies". He could feel himself growing weaker; sense himself wearing thinner and thinner.

As time stretched on, he found a streak of determination from within. The next meal that came to him – that's when he would strike.

When the chamber door was opened, the Prisoner leapt forth, and with all the might he could muster, he strangled the guard with his shackles. A key ring was retrieved, and armor donned.

He slipped through the mighty halls, suspected by none. Out, out, scoundrel! Fleeting feet- make haste! He hurried, and crept through doors; doing his best not to make a scene, nor be detected by an enemy.

At the sight of the sun – for the first time in ages – he let out a sigh. A wide smile broke across his face.

The Prisoner was freed.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Three months had passed from when Zack was given the _LOVELESS_ script. The company only had two more before opening night. Things were coming together; he had all of his lines memorized – which was a true shock.

At the moment, he was lying on his sofa, reciting each word slowly; with him were his usual comrades: Cloud and Tifa, Vincent, (and Kunsel was there for the beer). The men were strewn about the living room, occupying every chair available.

A shrill phone ringer broke the heavy silence. Zack peeled himself up off of the couch and picked up. "Hell—oh! Hiya, Aery."

The mere mention of her name made the others groan. Tifa sighed, and let her head fall back on Cloud's shoulder. "If you're going to talk all sweet and diabetes-inducing, can you _please_ leave the room this time?" Kunsel asked. "Fucking hell you make me want to turn into a puddle of fluff and ponies when you talk to her, man. _You make my manliness melt away._ You make _your_ manliness melt away."

"Yeah, the guys are here—"

"—Hey!"

"And Tifa. Mhm. Oh…do you want me to come by and fix it for you? Heh—I don't mind, babe. Er, sorry. I don't mind, Aerith. Okay. I'll be over in an hour or so, darli—Aery. Bye." When the phone was dropped back down into its receiver, Kunsel let out a dramatic sigh.

"I just lost all masculinity. Quick. Someone talk about breasts. Help. I can feel…the chromosomes…mutilating…Oh…Goddess….help."

Zack rolled his eyes, giving his friend a light nudge. "Shut up. She's just so…I don't know what."

"Bro you look like a horny fangirl right now. It's getting creepy. Stop that shit."

Even Vincent snorted at the comment. Both Cloud and Tifa chuckled, however he didn't think it was because of Kunsel's statement.

Later, once Vincent and Kunsel had departed, Tifa confronted the black haired man. A serious expression was worn, and she stared him straight in the eye. "—You're serious about Aerith, aren't you?"

"Er—I-…" He glanced around, as if he was making sure that there were no eavesdroppers. Though Cloud was standing next to his girlfriend, Zack didn't mind his presence. "—might have feelings for her."

"Strong ones," the blond added.

"Shut up." Zack cleared his throat, and fixated on the young woman. "I just don't understand her half of the time, though. I mean, we _act_ like a couple when we're alone. Shiva, we've even…done a few things. But she won't call me her boyfriend. It's annoying. Kind of."

"She never calls anybody her boyfriend." Cloud shrugged.

"Aerith doesn't date. She doesn't get attached that way with people. Don't ask about i—"

"Is this because she was a hooker?"

Both Cloud and Tifa exchanged a wide-eyed look before even thinking of responding. The simple mention of the term – the fact that he'd said it so cavalierly…they were shocked. "Yeah."

"Goddess…" He turned away from the two, and flopped himself face down on his couch. "How can somebody as perfect as her get caught up with that?"

"Because of the gangs?" Tifa shrugged. "Financial stuff?"

"She says she doesn't do that anymore. And…I've been helping her sell some of her flowers. Man, in the slums they go like wildfire." Another dopey grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "She always looks so happy. She's so gorgeous when she smiles. And her laugh…." He paused. "Shit. What if I'm in love with her?"

The woman laughed, and soon pulled Cloud toward the door. She laced her fingers with his and promptly exited. "Tell her."

...

He was getting fed up with this damned wheel. It kept falling off of the cart, and no matter how tightly he twisted the screw, it always toppled out. Soon enough, he dropped the screwdriver and duct taped the thing back on. It didn't spin as well as it used to, but it was _on._

For whatever reason, Aerith liked to linger about an old church. It was secluded and quiet, that was for sure; but it was decrepit and old. Her flowers flourished there, however.

Together, they made their way back to her house in order to return the cart to its rightful place. She was somewhat perturbed that he didn't really fix the wheel, but he insisted that the tape would do the job. And so, she agreed to follow him back to his apartment.

He took her small hand in his; held it tightly as they walked. Zack simply could not take his eyes off of her. And, he would have sworn that she was radiating; beaming.

When the man unlocked the door to his place and pushed open the door, she immediately jumped on him. Her arms flung around his neck, and she pressed her lips to his; leaving her feet dangling. He was caught off guard, but did not falter. A hand lifted her higher and secured her position, the other locked the door, and was then preoccupied with the buttons on her dress.

He walked as best as he could into his bedroom without falling or stumbling; without even removing his tongue from her mouth, nor his hand from her thigh.

Gently, Zack laid her down on his bed. He had managed to unbutton the top half of her dress to her ribcage. With the white fabric from her bra peeking out from the pink fabric, he continued further until each one had been unbuttoned, and her slender figure had been almost completely revealed to him. The straps of her dress were slid down her shoulders, and the garment was tossed to the foot of the bed.

Aerith's hands went to his shirt, and she swiftly pulled it over his head. A muscled, toned body was presented before her. And soon, he had shed his pants and boxers. Those, too, joined her dress. He hungrily eyed her clothed breasts; his fingers nimbly worked away at the clasp, in only a moment he had unhooked the bra. Rose-tipped, heaving, round, and movement akin to somewhat of a bounce – she was finally shown to him in whole. Prior to this, he had seen her naked, though only for a fleeting second. Now…he could stare all he wanted, and not a complaint would be heard from her.

"Look at you…" he murmured into her neck. His lips grazed against her skin, tracing the outline of her jugular vein, and up her neck. "Aerith—" One of his hands cupped her breast, thumb finding its way to her nipple. As he slowly moved his finger around her rosy tip, it hardened against his skin. She let out a timid hum of pleasure, and her eyes fluttered shut as his hand fondled away at her chest.

The spreading of her thighs; entrance still concealed by a thin layer of fabric. The woman pressed her wet sex against his thigh, silently begging to be taken. With one hand, he pinned her arms above her head, thrusting her chest forward; with the other, he stripped her of her dripping panties.

He then took her breast into his mouth; his tongue ran over the elevated flesh, erecting it. Her breath hitched as he slipped a finger into her slit. His digit flicked at her clit, which sparked a series of muted moans from her. The mere sound turned him on; her gentle, timid pleas for more, and her quiet whimpers of desire.

Another finger slid into her, both working at her clit. The rough slither of red moved its way down her breast, his hand taking its place once more. He took in each of her tastes, finally sticking his tongue into her wet entrance. With every lapping gesture; every time his tongue ran over her tender flesh, she let out a low moan.

When she climaxed, a high-pitched squeal of sorts escaped her; the woman's hands went to her face, as if to shield her blush from him. However, he soon found himself on his back, legs apart, and member being gingerly handled by Aerith.

The brunette lowered her lips, taking his shaft into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around it, hand at its base. The woman looked at him with half-lidded eyes, and she let a sensual moan become audible to him. A shiver shot through his body, and as she let her tongue work around his member, he grunted. His posture stiffened, and fingers clenched.

Her moan as he drove himself into her was exponentially louder than the others; she let her head fall backward, and the sound had simply rolled off of her tongue. One of his hands was firmly planted on the bed so he could assure himself he would not crush her beneath him, the other remained on her breast, fingers pinching her nipple tightly. "Za—ah-! I'm going—ah-!"

He rocked into her. A gentle, smooth motion; though as he felt her grow sufficiently wetter, she quickened his pace. The man moved in and out of her rather vigorously; rough, even. Her head knocked into the thick wooden headboard with every bounce, and her cries became louder and louder – reaching a scream as she finally released her liquids.

Zack continued to thrust into her, as she rode out her orgasm completely. The sound of her loud, pleasurable moans filled the room. The woman relaxed into the mattress, spilling out, onto his throbbing member. He finished soon afterward, collapsing beside her. His arm draped over her slender shoulders, and he rested his head against her neck, pressing a kiss to her jaw.

"I…am in love with you," honest eyes fell upon her wide jade ones. "Aerith."


	8. Chapter 8

8

_Even if the morrow is barren of promises__  
__Nothing shall forestall my return…._

The woman who had saved him. She had healed him, tended to him, housed him, and clothed him. Her gentle movements and soft ways drew him to her – she was a thing of beauty. The Prisoner sat in bed at dawn, watching her fix a meal in the small kitchen.

She greeted him with a kiss. It had only taken a matter of months for her to go from "the enemy" to his Love. She was different than all of the rest. She was beautiful in a unique way.

They lived a life of seclusion – far away from any other sign of life. For if they were found, they would both be killed.

Over his time there, the Prisoner's guilt grew stronger and stronger. The pact he had made with his friends – where were they now? Had they, too, died in the war? Were they just another rotting body, thrown onto the pile of carnage and burned?

He had to know before his sorrow ate him alive.

And so, he collected his things and departed. His Love urged him to stay; teary eyed and desperate.

"Do you really have to go?"

"I promised. The people I love are waiting."

"I don't understand. Not at all. But…please take care of yourself. For me, hm?"

"Of course," he left another kiss upon her fair lips. "Even if you don't promise to wait—I'll return, knowing that you'll be here."

The Prisoner set off, hearing a final "I love you," in the distance.

With that, he was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

9

"You're not serious," she stammered. "You're lying—right?" Aerith had dragged herself out of his bed, and slipped into her clothing. "You—_can't_."

Zack was quick to follow. He trailed behind her, grasping her shoulders tightly. "Why not?"

"Because – I – Zack…that was the first time I've ever slept with somebody who hasn't thrown money at me! You can't be in love with somebody like me. I'm not…supposed to do that. _You're_ not supposed to do that!" She choked out. Goddess—if she started crying again, he wouldn't know what to do. He'd probably try to kiss her, and end up getting a fist to the face.

"That isn't fair. I love you and there's pretty much nothing that you can do about it. You could even knee me in the dick and I'd _still_ love you. Aerith, just let me. Let me love you. Let me take you out on dates to the best places, let me help you sell flowers – let me take you dancing, and let me kiss you all over. And…move in with me, and just…_let me_. Please. _Please_." He spoke with desperation; it was so strange to see him like that. Aerith remained still in his arms, refusing to speak. "I'll teach you how to swim, and how to skate, and you can just…sing. Sing to me, and don't ever stop. I love your voice. I want to make you laugh as much as I can, because I've fallen in love with your giggles. Even the sound of you breathing – it helps me sleep at night, when you're next to me. I've got so much love to give, Aerith. Please just let yourself accept it. If – you don't…I don't know what to do with it." He sank to his knees, and pressed his face to her midriff. "You don't even have to love me back. You just have to…exist."

She stared at him in utter bewilderment. Nearly everybody in the school took Zack as a classless rich boy; he treated everything as a game – always got what he wanted, slept around, played his way through university, and lived a life of sheer glamour. Maybe that was why she chose to stay away from him. But Aerith was so scared of actually being tied down to somebody, for fear of hurting them in the long run. It wasn't that her mother had told her she couldn't date – it was _she_ who had told herself so. If she just got through school without ever having somebody by her side, she'd make it out okay. Less broken hearts; less tears; less everything.

Her silence put him on edge. He was still holding on to her as tightly as he could without hurting her, hoping for any sort of response from the girl. Even if she swatted him away; told him he was an idiot, or just…left…at least it was something. Silence was poisonous. He loathed it. Ever since he was a child, he had been immersed in quiet. His parents seldom spoke to him whilst growing up, and now that he lived alone – he was in a constant blanket of muted sounds.

"I'm not…supposed t—"

"Remember what I told you? About not giving a damn about what you're _supposed_ to do? Just – do something for yourself. Please? Do it for you, and not for anybody else on the Planet. What do_ you_ want, Aerith? Follow the dream. Whatever it is."

He felt her pull away. She moved to the doorway, back toward him. There was a brief hesitation before she slipped out. From where he sat, head inclined and eyes closed, Zack could hear the front door open and promptly close.

His Love had left.


	10. Chapter 10

10

Zack Fair was a mess.

He had never been in love before, and the one time he truly falls for a girl – she up and leaves him. But he could hardly be mad. Perhaps he pushed her away. Perhaps she had never felt anything for him.

Aerith hadn't been at rehearsal for days, leaving Tifa in her place. Each time Zack would swoop in to kiss her, he would gain a dirty look from Cloud. But he couldn't ever go through with it; his lips would hover a few centimeters above hers, and that was that. Genesis loved it; he said it was some sort of "guilt that hindered his ability to kiss his Love", and so, she was given the position instead.

"Well that's complete shit." Kunsel had his head propped up on his arms as he lay on the grass. "She just walked out on you? Women, man. I don't get 'em. Not at all."

"Maybe she's in love with somebody else."

"You're Zack Fair. You walk by a girl and their panties drop. Isn't that…what you used to say?" He sat himself up so he could look the other man in the eye. "What happened to you?"

The ebony haired male averted the other's eyes; his gaze fell on Cloud and Tifa, in the distance. He could have so easily blamed them for his misfortune; weren't they the ones who had urged him to tell Aerith his feelings? But, he harbored no ill will. "All of the other girls…I never felt anything. They were a number, or a bet, or for fun. I feel bad for doing it, now, but her…"

"I get it. But I think she loves you, too."

"You can't just say that, Kun. You don't even know. I don't love her."

He shrugged. "If she didn't feel anything at all for you, she'd still be here. She'd be at the rehearsals, she'd be in class, she'd hang around. You should talk to her."

"I can't talk to her! You're crazy."

"Oh, so now you choose to act like a low-self-esteem idiot? Just go phone her or something. Catch her on her way home. Goddess in high heaven, you're such a twerp. Months ago, you would have walked right up to that girl and gotten all up in her face."

"What if she was just playing me? Like, what if she was messing around just to get me back for all the crap I've done." Zack began to ramble; he plucked a blade of grass and toyed with it. "What if this was all just a set up to ruin me, huh? What then? Kun—?"

The blond man had begun to chuckle under his breath, though gradually the laughter grew louder; his breath hitched and he wiped a tear from his eye. "You think she went to all of that trouble just to fuck you over? Man if she wanted to do that she could have just scratched your car. You know, instead of showing her tits to you, right?"

"—HEY." He brandished his fist angrily, making Kunsel roll over and bury his head into the grass. "Don't say crap like that, man. I don't want you to think about her naked, or imagine her naked, or talk about her naked – or even look at her. Okay?"

"Ah, the threats of love."

"Not love."

"You know every guy on the team says that they've…had their way with her. It isn't like I'm the only one imagining sweet, innocent Aerith Gainsborough lying on my bed buck naked." That sentiment earned him a punch to his shoulder, although Zack had restrained himself from doing any further damage. "But really, I don't think that she'd go as far as sleeping with you just to get you back. Virgin Aerith, remember? Tim said he wanted to take her to prom just so he could 'be the first man in' or something."

"Don't talk about Tim. Ever."

"Ohhh yeah – why'd you punch his lights out, anyway? I know the guy's a creep, but he didn't do anything to you did h—"

"Tim raped Aerith, so I beat him up. I would have killed him if it weren't for her, actually. And, well, morals…" He closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. "So yeah, I kind of hate him."

The blond sat up and stared at him, eyes wide in shock. "Holy shit. Why didn't she say anything? Why didn't you say anything? This happened months ago and no one even knew!"

"Because…you know that the government doesn't care about the people in the slums. Apparently, everybody living above the plate has the same mindset: they're animals, so treat them as such. Besides, she didn't want anybody to know."

"That girl is messed up."

An intense glare from Zack's side, and Kunsel raised his hands defensively. "In the sexy kind of way, I mean."


	11. Chapter 11

11

_Legend shall speak__  
__Of sacrifice at world's end__  
__The wind sails over the water's surface__  
__Quietly, but surely_

"Halt, fiend – who treads there? Whom do these blind eyes look upon?"

"It is I," the Prisoner spoke; in his voice was inquiry, as if he wondered who had called him. The owner of the utterance had propped himself up against the trunk of a thick tree, and had turned his unseeing pallid irises toward the sky. "Friend."

"Ha-! _You_ are no comrade of mine, traitor. Look upon the plains of our land; all that was once lush is burning. This world will rot, and I am still left loveless. Fool, how could you run when we had a pact? Now this blood, this guilt…it is upon thine hands." He stood, uncertainty in each of his movements. As the prisoner watched his old friend's gait, he knew in his heart they must draw swords. One of his gloved hands dropped to the hilt of his sword, and he readied himself.

"Draw, friend."

With the _clash_ of their blades, and amid the clamor and commotion encasing them, the Prisoner managed to keep on his feet. He remained steady, as if the years he spent in the war had only just passed.

They fought, jabbing this way and that, hoping to stick the other sooner or later. However it was the Wanderer who fell onto his back, and let his sword fall to the side. Upon his visage was a look of sheer humiliation and fear; how was the Prisoner to kill him?

He shook his head, dropping his blade to the scorched grass. The Prisoner fell to his knees, closed his eyes, and let his hands rest behind his head. In a heated rage, the Wanderer swung his sword once, and impaled his old comrade through the chest.

"_I will not return to you, my Love; but do not think yourself loveless. You will always have me, so long as you look to the sky, and merely exist upon this Planet's scorched terrain…."_

* * *

__**Author's Note:**

**I sincerely apologize for my abrupt hiatus, though I was both caught up with work, schooling, (Role Play /shotdead), and other things that needn't be discussed in such a manner. Nevertheless! I thank you all for sticking by me so long, and the reviews are so greatly appreciated. This book is a little sloppy, and for the most part you can tell that I've been writing it at one AM on weekends. Still, from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate how kind you've all been toward both me and my story, and I adore getting private messages from you all time and time again. I'll try to be more regular with this thing, although there are no promises. Thanks for reading! **


	12. Chapter 12

12

It was one of the soggy, disgusting days in Midgar. One of the days that it rained, and it seemed as if the goddess herself was pissed off at the entire metropolis. In fact, it was one of the only times that Zack felt jealous of the residents of the slums. They never saw downpour, only gases and kerosene seeped through the plate.

"It's fuckin' pissin' rain out here, man," Kunsel muttered. With his jacket hood up, he led the way down the sidewalk. The duo had planned on retreating to Zack's flat, although driving in such weather wasn't the wisest of choices.

It was Kunsel who was in the driver's seat, and the ebony-haired football star wasn't certain if he felt totally safe with the man. One thing about his friend was that he adored speed. Absolutely lived for one-hundred kilometers an hour. It…was nerve-wracking.

As they sped along the slippery road, Zack was hardly paying attention to the music blaring out of the radio (and Kunsel's out of tune singing). Though, when he spotted a familiar white cardigan racing down the side walk, he shouted. "—H-hey! Kun, stop the car! I think I see her…."

Slightly alarmed by the sudden outburst, the blond slammed his foot on the brakes, but instead of stopping, the car skidded further down the road. They came to a very abrupt halt as the beat-up Toyota collided with the rear end of a truck. All that Zack could remember was hitting the side of his head against the dash board, then his vision clouding entirely.


End file.
